F beal



' Dec. 1, 1936.

FL'BEAL COMBINED IGNITION STARTER SWIT 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 26, 1934 I -VEI7 51* starting circuits.

' It is a further object, of this invention to pro-,

Patented Dec. 1, 1936 PATENT OFFICE COMBINED IGNITION AND STARTER SWITCH Fay Beal, Kokomo, Ind; assignor to Kingston ration of Indiana in i 77 Products Corporation, Kokomo, Ind., a corpo- Application July 26, 1934, Serial No. 736,975

' 1 Claim.

This invention relates to an improved locking switch for controlling the ignition and starter circuits of an internal combustion engine, such as is .used in automotive vehicles.

5 It is an object of this invention to combine the ignition and starter switches under a single key operated control in such a way that one movement of the key closes both circuits and upon release of the key the starter circuit is 10 opened, while the ignition switch remains closed until such time as the key is manually returned to its locked position. With such an arrangement the operator can hold the key in the starting position until the engine begins to fire and upon 15 releasing the key, the starter circuit is deen- 'ergized for normal operation of the engine. By

operating both circuits from a single key operated switch, the effectiveness of the lock is greatly increased, as it becomes much more difficult to 20 wire around the locked switch, the difficulty being greatly increased. by providing a multiple contact switch in a single casing wherein a single contact member selectively or simultaneously closes circuits to two or more instrumentalities.

It is a further object of this invention to provide-an improved switch of the'class described wherein the more essential circuits are housed in such a way thatwiring across the various exposed terminals will not energize the ignition circuit. 1 have accomplished this result in difierent ways in the disclosed embodiments of this invention, in one form by building the high ten-- sion coil 'of the ignition system into a housing secured to the switch housing, and in theother 35, form by armcuring. the lead from the switch to the primary terminal on a separate ignition coil,

so that in either case the circuit to the breaker cannot be completed through the ignition primary coil except by key operation of the switch.

40 It is another object of this invention to provide a multiple contact key operated switch of the class described wherein a series of circuits can be automatically and sequentiallycontrolled by a single operation of the key.

It is also an object or this invention to pro nioval of a single/key the insertion of which permits the closing of the ignition circuit aloneor the simultaneous closing of both the ignition and '5 vide a lock controlled multiple switch of the class described wherein not only the ignition and starting circuits, but also auxiliary circuits for-other control or, indicating devices can also be controlled or energized by the movement of the,lock

mechanism. 5

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved and simplifledmultiple switchof the class described which can be economically manufactured either as a unit with the ignition coil or separately therefrom should it be desired to mount the latter adjacent the engine with the switch at a control point.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawings. y

This invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated iii the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings: v

Figure l is anelevation of a combined ignition coil and switch embodying the features of this invention, the unit being shown as mounted behind a dash or control panel with the lock cylinder projecting therethrough.

Figure 2 is an enlarged view corresponding to Figure 1, partly broken away to show a section of the switch of this invention in its running position.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the stationary switch contacts carried by the coil element, the cover, lock, and switch mechanism having been removed.

Eisure 4 is a section on the line IV--IV of t Figure 2 showing the moving switch contact memher in elevation. 5

Figures 5, 6, and 7 are sections corresponding to. the line VI-VI in Figure 2 showing the different switch positions corresponding to 0113",

, running, and start'respectively.

Figure 8"is an elevation of another form of this invention wherein the ignition coil is separate from the switch housing.

Figure 9 is acentral vertical section in a plane parallel to Figure 8.

Figure 10 15a view of the back of the switch housing of Figures 8 and 9.

As shown on the drawings:

The switch of this invention is shown in both views as having a battery connection It! which is connected through the switch to a starter connection ll, ignition coil primary connection l2. and gas gage or auxiliary control connection l3. While it is believed to be unnecessary to trace such connections, it may facilitate; matters to mentl'on that in the usual automotive circuitlone battery pole is grounded, so that the various connections from the switch extend to the items mentioned and are grounded after mrfcrming their functions. In the case 01 the coil primary, the circuit includes a circuit breaker or timer operated by the engine; and the starter circuit energizes a starter relay to avoidcarrying the heavy starting current through the switch. The gas gage connection It is made only while the engine is running and therefore automatically conserves the battery. This connection may also be, used for other services if desired, with an additional switch in series it the particular service is not always required while the engine is running,

as in the case of windshield wipers; 'neaafsisef tail, and dash lights and other electrically controlled devices, including electrically controlled door locks such as are disclosed in my prior Patents Nos. 1,901,548 and 1,901,721, where it desired the secondary locks could be unlogkedonly In the first disclosed form of this invention, an ignition coil I4 is enclosed in a case it, a high tension push type terminal l6 being provided for a high tension cable l1 leading to the distributor on the engine. Such a coil has primary and secondary windings, one end of the primary winding being connected to a stationary terminal ii! on an insulated base l8 separating the coil from the switch compartment 20 formed in a cover 2 I .for the open end of the case It. The other end or the primary coil is connected to a binding post 22 from which the connection i2 leads to the engine circuit breaker. One end of the secondary or high tension coil is grounded, and the other end connected to the terminal it previously mentioned. Other stationary terminals are provided on the insulated base ll, one terminal 23 being connected to a binding post 24 to which the battery connection it is made, another terminal 25 being connected to a post 20 with the starter connection il applied thereto to energize a starting relay. and a fourth terminal 21 connected to a post 28 on which the connection is made for an electric gas gage and/or other electrical devices to be controlled. The various stationary terminals are best shown in Figure 3, being arranged in a circle in such a way that a three point moving switch armature 80 will selectively engage the terminals as will be later described in connection .with Figures 5, 6, and 7.

The switch mechanism comprises a cylinder type of lock 3| released from its inclosing barrel I2 by the insertion of a proper key 38. The lock cylinder II has an insulating disc 34 secured to' its inner end which disc engages upstanding lugs ll carried by the switch armature disc to, which latter is yieldingly urged against the stationary terminals by a spring II. The moving armature disc is provided with three cup like projections 31 whichmake actual contact with the station- 1 ary terminals, and complementary cups II are formed in certain of, the terminals into which one or more of the projections 31 drop to give a slight catch or snap action at the three positions of the switch. Additional cups I! may also 4 be provided in the insulating base II. The cups u and a are so arranged as to engage all of the projections 81 in each of the on and running positions, and one 0! the projections in the starting position in order to prevent vibrations or jars from aiiecting the switch. For convenience in what follows, the topmost projection 81 on 'the moving armatura'in Figure 4, will beindicated by theletterAinFiguree5,6,and"l inordertomore clearly indicate the position of the moving contact member. The head oi the key is shown in dotted lines in these figures for the same reason.

In the second form of the invention as shown in Figures 8 to 10, the coil case II is separate from a switch housing Iii, the primary connection I! leading from the primary contact I! to the coil through an armoured-flexible conduit ll. The switch mechanism is substantially identical with that already described, the differences arising from the construction of the stationary contacts as inserts in a molded plastic base 42 which can be inserted into the housing 40 from the right in Figure 9, a mounting bracket 48 being assembled betwnthelog barrel 32 and the insulating disc through slots in the bracket 43 and being turned overthe edge oi a collar IS on the lock barrel.

When mounted, only the lock barrel projects through the dash or control board 40, as shown in Figures 1 and 8.

The operation of both switches is identical and best shown by a comparison of Figures 5, 6. and 7, where the lock mechanism has been omitted, although the key head is shown superimposed thereon. In these figures the insulating disc 34 appears above and partially obscures the armature 30 which in Figure 5, with the key vertical, has that projection 31 which is marked A lying on the battery contact 23, the other two projections resting in the cups 39 on the insulating base I! between the other contacts thereon so that all circuits are open. when the key is turned 45 degrees to the position of Figure 6, the projection A moves over to the primary contact i8, one of the other projections 31 rests in the cup 38 on the gas gage contact 21 and the third projection drops into the lower cup I0 on the battery contact 23. In this position the switch is positioned for normal running of the engine, and it will be noted that the starter circuit is open.

When the key is turned a further 45 degrees to the position oi Figure 7, the second mentioned projection 31 on the armature shifts from the gas gage contact 21 to the starter contact 2|, the

other two projections remaining on theelongated primary and battery contacts.

In this position, only one of the projections II on the armature drops into a cup 80, the upper one on the battery contact in H8111! 3. This makes the starter contact less rigid in order to enable a torsion spring U to return therswiteh and armature to the mid position of Figure 6, when the key is released. In order to prevent this torsion spring from returning the key mechanism to the oil position, the working and ll of the spring engages a slot ll in the insulated emu. the slot being so arranged that the key movement from Figure 6 to Figure Q does not bring the spring into action. Further movement to the position. or Figure 7 picks up the torsion spring. so that in the operation oi the switch to start an engine the operator turns the key 00 degrees from the position of Figure ii to that of Figure I, thus enerll ing both the ignition'and the starter circuits. The key is held in this position until the engine beginsto flre, whereupon the operator merely releases the key, allowing the spring 41 to return the switch mechanism to the running positions! Figure 6, which automatically cuts out the starter circuit and engages thesuppie- Itwilithusbeaeen improved safety switch for the purposes described, wherein a key released lock serves to control both the ignition and starter circuits and cuts out the starter circuit upon release of the key, the operation of starting the engine being analogous to the operation of the usual type of foot switch in that the'operator releases the key when the engine begins to fire.

I am aware that many. changes may be made and numerous details 01 construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention and I, therefore, do not purpose. limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

An electric switch having a rotatable member movable between ofl, running and "starting positions, an operating key attachable to and detachable from the member only in the "011? position, an insulating member providing a smooth working surface and carrying a plurality of spaced-apart conducting members having ends recessed adjacent said working surface, a springpressed conducting armature having a plurality of cup-shaped projections adapted to slide .on said working surface and to enter the recessed ends of said conducting members and movable with said rotatable member, a spring arranged opposing movement of said rotatable member only when said rotatable member is being turned from the running to the starting position, only one oi. said cup-shaped projections being in engagement with a recessed conducting member when the switch is in the "starting" position to facilitate return of the switch to the running position by said spring when the key is released, and a plurality of said cup-shaped projections being in.engagement withia plurality of said recessed conducting members in the "running position.

- FAY BELL. 

